Safety detonator package



April 13, 1954 w. R. MARSH 2,674,945

SAFETY DETONATOR PACKAGE Filed/July 6, l1951 INVENTOR. WI//fs Marsh H05BY, %W/% Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNilTED STATES PAENT OFFICE SAFETYBETONATOR PACKAGE Willis R. Marsh, Magdalena, N. liicx. Application July6, 1951, Serial No. 235,413

(CL. `M12-28) claims. l

The present invention relates to detonators and safety packages for thesame and more particularly the present invention relates to detonatorsofv the electric ignition type, combined with a package for saiddetonator and also for the explosive to be used in conjunctiontherewith.

In blasting with explosives it' is necessary to prime "at least one ofthe explosives with an explosion initiator, such as a detonator. Thesedeton'ators usually comprise a small cylindrical container filled withan explosive charge and an electrical igniting device. One or more leadsare brought out from the igniting device, usually to a considerablelength, so as to provide means for connecting the detonator to asuitable firing circuit. As such a detonator is somewhat unwieldly, onaccount of the long leads attached thereto, and as it is easilyexploded, even by a slight amount of current applied to the leads, orsometimes by shock, as often occurs in shipping or in handling, it isimportant to provide means for protecting the detonator, so that it willnot be accidentally exploded before the time for its use.

One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a preparedpackage in which the deton'ator, along with its igniter wires, are'assembled to provide a compact and convenient package and one whichwill be perfectly safe to handle at all times.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described in which the detonator and associated ignition wireshave a protective casing for safety and convenience in shipping andhandling.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described which will be waterproof, so that deteriorationof the detonator will not occur during shipping or storing, even in veryhumid climates, it having been found that present-day detonators areoften ruined by exposure to dampness, as is often found Vin mines, oreven by shipping or storage i-n humid climates. When this occurs, thecharge often fails to explode and considerable time and money are lostin clearing out the debris and setting a new charge, the time lost beinga very expensive item, inasmuch as high-priced crews must wait outsidethe blasting area, until the charge is re-set and fired.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described, which will protect the igniter Wires fromaccidental breakage at all times. It has been found that detcnatorspresently iny use often have an gnter Wire broken during the leadingoperation,

2 with the result that the charge fails to fire and much time and moneyare lost, while highly-paid men must sit around and wait until thecharge can be re-loaded and re-flred.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described, which will make it unnecessary for thosecarrying on blasting operations to hire any powder men, as is presentlynecessary.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described, which prevents waste and loss due to dampness,as is often encountered in blasting operations, and which will beperfectly safe to ship and to handle at all times, until the desiredexplosion takes place.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described which will absolutely protect the detonator atall times, so that it cannot be accidentally exploded, before such timeas the explosion is desired, vand which will positively fire at alltimes, when such explosion is desired, with no possibility of missedfiring holes and the like, even in cases of rough handling, or dampnessof climate or surroundings.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described which will save a great deal of time in loadingblasting holes and the like with explosives and connecting them up tothe iiring circuit and yet which will be absolutely safe againstaccidental firing. at all times.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described, which is simple in construction, highlyeiiicient in operation and economical to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more specificallyset forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings which form apart of this application for Letters Patent.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated preferred and practicalembodiments o'f my invention, it being understood, however, that thedrawings are merely illustrative and that my inventive-concept issusceptible of other embodiments and utilizations, and that theillustrated embodiments likewise are susceptible of a wide range ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of myinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

In these `drawings, `which accompany. and form a part of thisspecification, and in which like reference numerals are used todesignate the same or like parts throughout the several iigures:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the new and novel safety detonatorpackage of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the detonator package taken alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and also showing a stick of explosive in placeinside the safety detonator package;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the safety detonator package shownin Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the end of the safetydetonator package; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the safety detonator package of myinvention in place on a stick of explosive and placed in a loading holein rock to be blasted.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and rst adverting to that formof the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral I Ilhas been used to generally designate the safety detonator package of thepresent invention. The detonator package l may be made from any suitablematerial, such as, for example, cardboard, waxed paper, oil-impregnatedpaper or cardboard, plastic, Celluloid, unbreakable glass or any othersuitable material, and it may be made in any desired size or shape. Thesafety detonator package I D consists essentially of a cylindrical tubeI2 of suiiicient size to slip over one end of a dynamite or otherblasting stick. which has been indicated generally by the referencenumeral I6. At the other end of the tube I2 is a plug I4 which ntssnugly inside the tube I2 and is held in place by it, so that it willnot move. The plug I4 may be made from wood, plastic or any othersuitable material and has an axially aligned hole I bored through it.The hole I5 is of sufiicient size to receive and to hold securely inplace the detonator I8, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 2. If desired,the end of the detonator I8 may protrude slightly from the end of theplug I4, in order to insure intimate contact with the dynamite orblasting stick I6.

Over the end of the tube I2 a second cylindrical tube 24 fits tightly,so as to form a waterproof joint where the two tubes I2 and 24 meet. Thetube 24. may also be made from any suitable material, such as, forexample, cardboard, waxed paper, oil-impregnated paper or cardboard,plastic, Celluloid, unbreakable glass or any other suitable material,and like the tube I2 it may be made in any desired shape or size, solong as it fits tightly over the tube I2, so as to form a watertightseal at the point it ts over the tube I2. If desired, the tubes I2 and24 may be made in one continuous piece and perforations (not shown) maybe used to aid in splitting the two tubes apart in order to draw out thewires 26 and 22. The detonator I 8, by way of illustration, has beenshown as having two igniter wires 2li and 22 extending from the endthereof, as is usual in electric ignition detonators. These igniterwires 2B and 22 are quite long and thus to make a compact package it hasbeen found to be desirable to wind them in a coil, as is shown mostclearly in Fig. 2. This serves the dual purpose of making a compactdetonator package and also enabling the user to straighten out theigniter wires 20 and 22 just prior to the blasting operation, as will beexplained in the course of this description. The igniter wires 20 and 22are wound so that the coiled wires press against the inside of the tube24. The end of the tube 24 terminates in integral sealed end 3|), or,

for ease of assembly, it may have a tight-fitting, Waterproof cap member23 as is shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The igniter wires 20 and 22, atthe end of the coil, extend through an opening 36 in the integral end 3cor the cap member 23 and then bend back and enter the tube 24 through asecond hole or opening 38 in the integral end 30 or the cap member 23,as is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The igniter wires 20 and 22 arecovered with insulation, in order to prevent accidental discharge of thedetonator I8 from stray electricity, and after they re-enter the tube 24through the opening 38 they are bare as at 26 and 2'8 with noinsulation, so that they may be quickly and easily attached to the ringcircuit which sets oi the detonators. The holes 36 and 38 are separatedfrom each other by a small piece of the material which has beendesignated by the reference numeral 32. If plastic is used for the tubesI2 and 24, a space may be left between the holes 36 and 38 for easywithdrawal of the Wires 28 and 22. It will thus be seen that I haveprovided a safety detonator package in which bare ends 28 and 28 of theigniter wires 26 and 22 remain inside the tube 24 and are prevented fromcoming into contact with any electricity until the time for actualconnection to the firing circuit. Since the detonator I8 is held rigidlyin place by the surrounding plug member I4 it is protected from bumpsand jars and accidental setting olf during shipment or preparation ofthe loading of the dynamite or blasting sticks. It will also be readilyseen that the igniter wires 2D and 22 are protected inside the tube 24from accidental breakage, so that the detonator i8 will always go 01Twhen the ring circuit is closed, thus preventing missed holes in theblasting operation with their attendant time and expense in retiringthem. It will also be observed that I have provided a waterproof safetydetonator package that will not be aiected by water around the site ofthe blasting operations or humid climate. if they are stored for longperiods of time.

The use of the safety detonator packages of the present invention isexceedingly simple and effective and safe. In Fig. 5 is illustrated atypical blasting site with a blasting hole 4U drilled therein. A stickof dynamite I6 has the open end of the safety detonator package ttedover it and is then placed in the blasting hole 4I] in a conventionalmanner, such as shown in Fig. 5. The safety detonator package is thenseparated by pulling the tube 24 from the tube I2, and the tube 24 isthen carried down as far as desired, in order to be near the firingwires (not shown). As the tube 24 is pulled from the tube I2, the coiledigniter wires 23 and 22 feed out from the inside of the tube 24, andsince the coiled igniter wires 2i! and 22 iit tightly against the insideof the tube 24, they are automatically straightened out with no kinks tobreak the insulation over the igniter wires 29 and 22 and thusaccidental breakage of the igniter wires 26 and 22 is prevented, so thatthe detonator I3 will explode when the igniter wire ends 26 and 28 areattached to the ring circuit. When the igniter wires 20 and 22 have beenpulled out of the tube 24 a suflicient amount, the tube 24 is lefthanging, as is shown in Fig. 5 and the bare ends 26 and 28 of theigniter wires 2l) and 22 remain inside the tube 24 and are protectedfrom accidental discharge, while other holes in the blasting site aresimilarly loaded. After all of the blasting holes have been loaded, itis only necessary to pull the bare ends 26 and 2B of the igniter wires20 and 22 from the tube 24, either by tearing out the small piece ofmaterial 32 between the holes 36 and 38 or by pulling out the bare ends26 and 28 from the opening 38, after which they may be attached to thefiring circuit for the blasting operation. It should be noted that upuntil the time the bare ends 26 and 28 of the igniter wires 26 and 22are attached to the firing circuit, there is no way in which thedetonator cap I8 may be accidentally exploded. The fact that the igniterwires and 22 are automatically straightened out when the tube 24 ispulled from the tube i2 saves a great deal of time in dekinking theigniter wires as must be presently done by hand, and this also preventsaccidental breakage of the igniter wires as so often occurs usingpresentda-y detonator caps or packages.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herein shown anddescribed are to be taken as preferred and practical embodiments of thesame, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my inventionor the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A safety detonator package including a tube adapted to receive ablasting stick, said tube having a plug at the end opposite the blastingstick receiving end, said plug having an axially aligned hole adapted toreceive and hold a detonator to set off said blasting stick, a secondtube adapted to t over the first-mentioned tube at the plug end thereofand to form a waterproof joint between said tubes, igniter wires for thesaid detonator connected thereto at one end and coiled within the secondtube and remotely positioned with respect to the blasting stickreceivingend of the first tube, the other ends of the igniter wires beinginterconnected to the outer end of the second tube with the terminalends thereof located within the second tube.

2. A safety detonator package including a tube adapted to receive ablasting stick, said tube having a plug at the end opposite the blastingstick receiving end, said plug being adapted to receive and hold adetonator to set off said blasting stick, a second tube adapted to fitover the rst-mentioned tube at the plug end thereof, igniter wires forthe said detonator, connected thereto at one end and coiled within thesecond tube and remotely positioned with respect to the blastingstick-receiving end of the first tube, the other ends of the igniterWires being interconnected to the outer end of the second tube with theterminal ends thereof located within the second tube, the outer end ofthe second tube having spaced openings therein with the terminal ends ofthe wire extending outwardly through one opening and directed backwardlyinto the tube through the other opening.

3. A safety detonator package comprising a tube open at one end for thereception of a blasting stick, a detonator immovably supported in theother end of the tube, a second tube frictionally telescoped onto thedetonator-carrying end of the irst tube and closed at its outer end,insulated ignition wires coiled into engagement with the inner surfaceof the second tube, adjacent ends of the wires connected to thedetonator, the other free ends of the wires being confined within thesecond tube and remaining therein when the tubes are separated.

4. A safety detonator package comprising a tube open at one end for thereception of a blasting stick, a detonator immovably supported in theother end of the tube, a second tube frictionally telescoped onto thedetonator-carrying end of the first tube and closed at its outer end,insulated ignition wires coiled into engagement with the inner surfaceof the second tube, adjacent ends of the wires connected to thedetonator, the other free ends of the wires being conned within thesecond tube and remaining therein when the tubes are separated, and loopportions of the wires projecting outwardly of the closed end of thesecond tube whereby the free ends of the wires may be withdrawn from thesecond tube and the latter separated from the first tube.

5. A. safety detonator package comprising a tube open at one end for thereception of a blasting stick, a detonator immovably supported in theother end of the tube, a second tube frictionally telescoped onto thedetonator-carrying end of the first tube and closed at its outer end,insulated ignition wires coiled into engagement with the inner surfaceof the second tube, adjacent ends of the Wires connected to thedetonator, the other free ends of the Wires being confined within thesecond tube and remaining therein when the tubes are separated, and aninterconnection between the ignition wires and the outer end of thesecond tube whereby the free ends of the wires are conned in the secondtube until the detonator package is ready for use.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 173,680 Smith Feb. 15, 1876 1,091,878 Cordray Mar. 31, 19141,446,664 Saucier Feb. 27, 1923 1,458,740 Wells June 12, 1923 1,570,733Eschbach Jan. 26, 1926 1,571,478 Hirthler et al Feb. 2, 1926 2,062,189Olin et al. Nov. 24, 1936

